, 1887-09-30
free, and il either of you shall fall in love

free, and il either of you shall fall in love
with some one else"-
II cannot admit the existence uf such
a possibility so far as l am concerned, -
made answer Louis, ~passionatoly.
Nevertheless such things are possible,
and rave occurred, especially where two
such children as you both are wero con-
cerned. Now let me hear nothing more
on this subject. | shall send Grace to
stay with her aunt, Mrs. Elavyn, in
Washington, until you are gone. and 1
shall feel seriously displeased with you if
you breach to her any subject connected
with love and matrimony before her de-
parture."
And so well and carefully did Mrs.
Marsden (who was at once acquainted by
her husband with all the details of the
affair watch over her daughter, that
Grace went away for her visit wholly
unconscious of the conquest she had made
of her COUSINS affections. She was, to
tell the truth. so delighted at the idea of
a journey to Washington, Of a s%ojourn
with her favorite aunt (whose daughter
Alice was about her own age), mt of all
the things she meant to see and do, that
she had lost sight of the fact that Cousin
Louis was going to sail for Europe in q
few weeks, and hat she would not see
him again for a long, long time. In
fact, the peculiarly morbid disposition of
the young man had finally become repel-
lent to her bright nature, and though she
was always affeCtionate and kind to him,
she felt, unconsciously, a certain degree of
relief in the thought of his absence.
"You must not forget me, Grace" he
said, fervently, at the moment of her de-
parture. And the young girl answered,
gayly: mo fear of that, Louis. Even if
you never write to any of US, 1 shall al
ways remember you. For you are my
cousin, you know-just the same to me
as n of my brothers"
Louis was about to utter some pro-
testation respecting this announcement
on Grace's part; but a significant touch
on his shoulder from the hand of Mr..
Marsden recalled that gentleman's stern
prohibitions, and he contented himself
with kissing with fervor the little hand
that Grace frankly placed within his
own, unheeding the fresh young face
that was held up to him for a parting
salute.
GLOW odd you are, Louis, not to kiss
me goodbyl" she cried, gayly, as she
sprang into the carriage; remember,
you must write your first letter from
Rome to me. And be sure you tell me
what you think about st. Peters and the
Colosseum. L wish l We're going with
you to see them ALL"
eff you only werel' muttered Louis,
as the carriage drove away There
goes my guardian angel, and l must go
forth alone to meet the demon"
A few weeks later Louis Seabrook
sailed from New York for Europe. He
did not fail to write to Grace more than
one imprisoned love letter shortly after
his arrival; but the child, p~erplexed, I'M
sympathiZing and half provoked with
what she called cousin Louis foolish.
ness, y n no response to his fervent
protestations. Louis took the hint, and
the correspondence thereafter was con-
Quoted on a more tranquil footing. To
this change a sharp reproof from Mr..
Marsden, and a threat of forbidding al
together any interchange of letters, prob
ably contributed largely. The traveller
wrote but seldom, but he often sent
tokens of regard and remembrance to his
uncle's family, and especially to Grace.
One of these was a fine copy of the cele-
brated portrait of Caesar Borgia, by Ra-
phael, which is one of the noted art
treasures of the Borghese palace. And
IL NAiS ~ hHibNAl lASSt VIII lllS
evil tendencies of the inner nature look
ing from the large eyes and curving the
full red lips, Mrs. Marsden recognized
with a shudder a strong resemblance to
the countenance of her nephew. Indeed,
he alluded to the likeness himself in one
of the %infrequent letters received from
him during his %sojourn in Rome. 81
must be q true descendant of the Bor-
gias, " he wrote, "for my likeness to the
Raphael portrait has been commented
upon even by total strangers, and when !
ven to see my great grandfather, DR..
Marini, when l passed through Milan the
other day, his first exclamation on be-
holding me was: You are like your
mothers race By the way, what a
wonderful old man he isl 1 have prom
ised to pay him a long visit on my way
back to Paris, and he tells me that he
will then conflde to my keeping sundry
family relics OF great importance. / con-
fess that l am very curious to see them.
He is nearly 90 years old now, but pre-
serves all his faculties ~unimpaired.
A few months later Louis wrote that
the promised visit had been paid, and
that DIR. Marini had placed in his hands
some curious and antique objects, several
of which had at one time belonged to the
famous family of Pope Alexander Borgia.
Amongst these" he wrote, sis an ivory
casket of exquisite and artistic workman
ship. 1t possesses certain singular prop
critics which 1 shall describe when we
meet" Next came the news of the
death of the old doctor, who had seemed
to have lived thus long for the express
purpose of bestowing his cherished heir
looms on his great grandson and sole
direct descendant.
The two years that had been fixed as
the period Of young Seabrook's absence
had nearly come to an end, and he had
already written TO o the date at
which he would sail for home, when he
received from Mrs. Marsden the news of
Grace's engagement to a young and
talented lawyer, Stuart Hastings by
name. The match was one that was
satisfactory in every way to Mr.. and
Mrs. Marsden, and, to do them justice,
they had both looked upon the attach
ment of Louis for his cousin as a mere
boyish passion that had not survived the
tests of time and absence. This letter
received no response, but Louis wrote n
few hurried lines to Grace, declaring his
intention of being present at her mar
1@rN A4 -